Great news coming out of St Albans. St Albans Centurions are getting their own rugby league stadium. For the last two years the club has been playing their senior and junior games on pitches at Toulmin Drive Sports Ground, St Albans. The club has one ‘all year round’ pitch and two ‘summer only’ pitches that are marked out when the football season has ended. But now, thanks to some great negotiations between the club chairman, Brian Parker, and St Albans District Council, the club has been offered the sole use of the football stadium that sits in the corner of the complex, which has a stand, two permanent dug outs, a barrier and footpath around the pitch and a high hedge that surrounds the whole set up.

The stadium is presently only used on ‘big match’ days like play offs and cup finals by the local football clubs and for most of the time it is under used. Following negotiations, it has been decided that after April 2012 – when the last football final has been played, the control and use of the stadium will pass to St Albans Centurions and be used for rugby league games. The council will continue to own the land, and the club will pay them rent, but Centurions will be in charge of the day to day running of the stadium and the maintenance and upkeep will be shared between the club and council. The council, who have proved very supportive to the Cents, have also hinted that if everything goes ok, they would consider putting money into the stadium in the future to upgrade or build facilities. The Club are also keeping its 12 month pitch next to the stadium and are in talks about having Mini/Junior size pitches set out nearby.The only major work that needs doing is to lengthen the playing area of the current football pitch. A rugby league pitch is a minimum 112 metres long from dead ball line to dead ball line, so one set of barriers will have to be removed from one end of the pitch and moved further downfield.Chairman Brian parker said “When I approached the local councillors and district council with this plan I did expect a bit of resistance, but I have met with nothing but helpfulness and interest from all concerned."The time line is something like this –January – discussion with council/contractors about what is required/needs doing.Feb to April – work to be carried out, last football game played in April (they have already paid the council for this)May onwards – rugby league played.

Cheers gents, we are chuffed with this, being in charge of our own ground is another step forward for the club. The interesting bit for us is ..... "The council, who have proved very supportive to the Cents, have also hinted that if everything goes ok, they would consider putting money into the stadium in the future to upgrade or build facilities".We know what we have hinted at, and didn't get knocked back, but it would be wrong to announce anything that wasn't a done deal yet, but you can hope. In the meantime, having our own 'stadium' to welcome teams to next year is something we are all looking forward to.

With the best, thats a good bit of PR, though I would say the Bedford team, theres, like, you know, 13 blokes who can get together at the weekend to have a game together, which doesnt point to expansion of the game. Point, yeah go on!

I took the photo two years ago when we moved to Toulmin Drive. Our first game was a friendly against Cambridge University. The councils contractors were told to mark out and erect two full sized pitches. They did the main one that we have been using ever since, and they thought we were also playing in the 'stadium' so began putting those posts up as well. The club already had ideas about the stadium site and I managed to get a photo, just in case, before they took them down again.

I took the photo two years ago when we moved to Toulmin Drive. Our first game was a friendly against Cambridge University. The councils contractors were told to mark out and erect two full sized pitches. They did the main one that we have been using ever since, and they thought we were also playing in the 'stadium' so began putting those posts up as well. The club already had ideas about the stadium site and I managed to get a photo, just in case, before they took them down again.

I see. When I first saw it (small) I assumed it was some sort of camera trickery with the angle.

The effect of cuts is being felt. Birmingham have shut down their junior programme as a result from having 5 age groups last year. They're down to 1 open age side from 3 in 2010.

Does this mean that non heartland clubs have always been reliant on RFL funding of development officers to exist , and as a consequence can't run without that input ?

What funding , direct or indirect , has Birmingham lost ?

What structures do non heartland clubs put in place to secure their futures - the committees , coaches, volunteers etc without which it won't happen ? Give me a dedicated volunteer before half a dozen players any day.. wherever you are in the country.

RFL money should always at best be treated as a bonus , or even pump priming. If turning the tap off slowly is being blamed for these losses , then there are some fundamental issues to be addressed....

Is there a case to be made for concentrating what is left in the development envelope solely on the non heartlands , and if so , can those areas ever expect to become self sufficient ?

Does this mean that non heartland clubs have always been reliant on RFL funding of development officers to exist , and as a consequence can't run without that input ?

What funding , direct or indirect , has Birmingham lost ?

What structures do non heartland clubs put in place to secure their futures - the committees , coaches, volunteers etc without which it won't happen ? Give me a dedicated volunteer before half a dozen players any day.. wherever you are in the country.

RFL money should always at best be treated as a bonus , or even pump priming. If turning the tap off slowly is being blamed for these losses , then there are some fundamental issues to be addressed....

Is there a case to be made for concentrating what is left in the development envelope solely on the non heartlands , and if so , can those areas ever expect to become self sufficient ?

There was never a problem getting people to run open age sides but there was at junior level IMO. We're looking at restructuring our younger age groups for next season which should relieve some pressure on volunteers but allow players to still get sufficient game time (possibly more than before depending on the club). Under 16s is very successful but under 18s is very difficult. Birmingham seem to have been in a decline for a couple of years so this withdrawal will affect them in a way it won't Coventry, Leicester, Northampton or Nottingham for example.

My concerns at open age are for 2 of the outpost leagues (although were they ever more than RU kick abouts?) and absolutely ensuring the viability of the Conference South as there's nothing at tier 4 for these clubs.

Of course you only need to go back 4 years to see Leicester and Northampton in a weaker state than Birmingham currently are so it can be turned round